Sabegebu! - Survival Game Club!

Episode 12

After a full season of over-the-top comedy, there was really only one way for Sabagebu! – Survival Game Club! to end. All of the show's running jokes and recurring characters make one final appearance, and the self-aware absurdity is cranked up as high as it can possibly go. Leave it to Sabagebu! to go out with guns blazing.

The majority of this last episode is taken up by a titanic struggle between the heroines and an endless swarm of expendable government henchmen. The battle eventually ends with a classic “last stand” scene that pokes fun at a multitude of action movies. What would normally be an emotional conclusion is dragged kicking and screaming into the realm of comedy, and the steady descent into insanity makes for entertaining viewing. While it's not the funniest thing Sabagebu! has ever done, it's still a satisfying way to wrap things up.

After all that bullet-riddled catharsis, though, the show can't resist getting one last joke in before it goes. The episode concludes with a relatively simple story about the girls trying to find a birthday present for urara. Taken on its own merits, it's not a bad little segment. After all the terrible things Momoka's gotten away with, it's amusing to watch things go so horribly wrong when she tries to do something nice. What's odd is that the writers chose this as the last joke Sabagebu! makes. Even the show's narrator acknowledges that it's a pretty silly way to go out.

However, the narrator is also right in his assertion that a stunt like this is exactly what we ought to expect. Part of the mean-spirited charm of Sabagebu! is its inability to resist pulling the rug out from under the audience. Whenever a segment or episode appears to be approaching a conventional ending, the writers ambush us with one final comedic surprise. It doesn't always work, but it's usually been good for a laugh.

Around halfway through this last episode, Miou offers a dead-on description of Momoka. She has plenty of flaws and is occasionally a genuinely awful person, but there's almost never a dull moment when she's around. Miou's speech may be directed at the main character, but it's also an accurate summary of Sabagebu! as a whole. It's far from a perfect show, and often sprints headfirst into a brick wall in pursuit of a punchline. From time to time, it crosses lines that a comedy has no business even approaching. Despite that, it's always been interesting enough to come back for one more episode.

I'm not certain I'd feel the need to watch Sabagebu! a second time, as so much of its appeal lies in its unpredictability. Even so, these dozen episodes have been a boisterous, energetic, and occasionally hilarious ride. If you can put up with its massive mean streak and frustrating inconsistency, there's plenty of fun to be had here.

Rating: B

Survival Game Club! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Paul Jensen also covers anime and manga at SharkPuppet.com.